I think it will stick around so long as the QBs running it are capable passers.

That's where the options have failed in the past.

If you can throw without it, I don't see why being able to use it wouldn't add a dimension that to the offense that makes it useful.

Hoofbite, you and me have really been on the same page recently.

I agree completely. It creates a wrinkle that did not previously exist to the same degree. There is really no answer to this other than defenses getting smarter and faster.

There is no answer for a quarterback who can run and pass accurately. Simple as that. Teams weren't able to stop Michael Vick from running, but the advantage they had was that he wasn't a capable passer. The upcoming generations of QBs are far more capable.

Just a fad that will pass after a year or two like the Wildcat. There is no substitute for a pocket passing.

The Wildcat was not a fad, you just have to know the RB/QB is capable of the throwing the ball. The Dolphins used Ronnie Brown and teams quickly learned he wasn't going to throw it. Denver was successful with Tebow, even as a below average passer because he was so hard to tackle. The Wildcat/Pistol eliminates a QB that hands the ball off and then does nothing else. You get an extra blocker by snapping it straight to RB/QB.

The zone defense is better at defending the run, this is a basic common sense principle.

In a zone defense all of the defenders are facing the offense, where as in man defense defenders face specific players. Zone keeps everything in front of you, which is why it is easier to make plays in a zone defense.

The issue with zone defense is a quarterback's ability to find the weaknesses in the zones. Which is why getting pressure in tandem with the zone is ultimately the best option. If we have a dominant defensive line who can get pressure on the quarterback, it limits the weaknesses of a zone defense.

Man defense is great when you have the personnel to play it. Which is why we went out and spent so much on corners. Not that we will never play man defense anymore, but we certainly need to focus more on our pass rush now.

The 49ers are about to win a Super Bowl running the read option pistol formation offense. This offense is the future of the nfl due to the post snap ability to read defenses that it gives qbs. Impossible to stop

After RG3 gets his other knee blown out next year, I think teams will think twice running it as their base defense.

If I was a DC, I would tell the players to hit the QB hard as they can when they start running. Give the running QB something to think about.

And if this is the future of the NFL, I'll simply stop watching. It's not entertaining to me. I like pure pocket passers. Not a gimmicky offense that forces defenses to leave average WRs and TE's wide open, inflating the QB's numbers cuz he's able to punt one up to him cuz he's so freakin' open. I want to see a skillful PASSER play on sundays. Not the read option.

There is a whole lot of personal opinion being substituted as facts in this post.

I'm sure next season there will be someone to "hit" the QB on every play that they do the read option. And I'm sorry, the NFL rules cannot protect a QB that runs this kind of offense.

So expect these guys that run it, are going to take a beating next year. Well, one RGknee already did. That is going to curtail running that offense. When head coaches realize that their starting QB's are in vulnerable, they will move away from it.

Let's hope that is what happens. I don't like this offense in the NFL at all. I can watch that on Saturdays.

running your QB is like telling your pitchers to slide headfirst--good idea until one gets hurt--it takes too much time and $ to develop a QB to lead an offense--easy to read and run the wildcat, if one gets hurt just stick in another runner--as soon as a Few more get hurt like RGIII and as soon as defenses actually start preparing for it, it will dwindle

Watching the SF/GB game last night just made me realize how slow our offense is. The 9'ers do not really run that read option too much like the Skins, but they surely did hit on some big plays with it. Anyone else think that Kapernick is a better QB that RGIII? He just seems so fast out there.

The Boys have a lot of work to do to be able to play with these teams.

I'm sure next season there will be someone to "hit" the QB on every play that they do the read option. And I'm sorry, the NFL rules cannot protect a QB that runs this kind of offense.

So expect these guys that run it, are going to take a beating next year. Well, one RGknee already did. That is going to curtail running that offense. When head coaches realize that their starting QB's are in vulnerable, they will move away from it.

Let's hope that is what happens. I don't like this offense in the NFL at all. I can watch that on Saturdays.

Why would the NFL change the rules to help defenses? When has the NFL ever done this? They want more scoring and less injuries, hence why they've made it harder for secondaries to cover receivers and harder for pass rushers to punish even quarterbacks who remain in the pocket. There will be no rule changes, count on it.

Here is something a lot of you guys have yet to realize. The read option actually saved RG3 from being put in IR this season. I am not saying Shanahan wasn't at fault for playing him after the Baltimore game, he shouldn't have played one game after that. But facts are facts, and the facts are that Griffin has taken all of his hard hits in traditional dropback plays, where the OL couldn't block the pass rush, and he scrambled. Every QB in this league scrambles away from pressure. His concussion came on a playaction roll out where no one was open and he ran to the sideline when he should've thrown it away. The Ngata injury was on a pass play where the OL allowed pressure on his right side, he scrambled left, took off and tried to get more yards scrambling up the middle of the field TOWARDS his pursuit. He has taken more hits in the pocket, and on unplanned scrambles, than running the read option. He should be thankful the Shanahans realized early on their offensive line would get him killed if he ran last year's offense and sought alternatives. With no RG3 against Cleveland, Cousins first 3 drives resulted in 2 punts and an INT. He didnt have a clean pocket on a single dropback pass. Morris was getting stuffed, as he has benefited more from the Pistol/read option than Griffin has. The offense didnt get rolling into Kyle Shananhan started calling bootleg, getting Cousins outside of the pocket and not a sitting duck.

If we had a quality offensive line, that didnt need the benefit of a defenses' hesitation in defending the pistol/read option, then they could afford to do less read option. But considering the success of running it, they'll likely keep it as a part of the gameplan even after improving personnel on the OL.

To get back to the topic at hand, you'll see more read option in the NFL because more and more of the quarterbacks in college are running this instead of a variation of the WCO or a even older vertical attack. The NFL has no choice but to adjust their offensive scheme to this or draft a QB to sit 2-3 years while an offense rooted in timing routes and reading progressions becomes second nature to them. The misconception is these QBs running read option CAN'T run your traditional offense, the reality is their coaches have found the read option is just more effective and lends no more risk to the QB than taking hits in the pocket. An offense that runs read option with an accurate passer is an offense that can't be schemed against.

It may be a fad but it sure is nice to have a QB with wheels that can also throw it. Kapernick seems to be able to do both and even if its not a designed play its nice to have a QB with the ability to pick up a quick 15 or 50 yards. Manziel...Come on down.

The Pistol has been around for awhile guys, it ain't going anywhere anytime soon..

The wildcat failed because of the two running back approach and not really having to respect the pass.

The pistol however you have to respect the fact that the QB is still in the game and can step back and throw it over your head. They took the weakness of the Wildcat and eliminated it.

All of this talk about guys getting injured etc.. etc... isn't this part of the game? That's like saying teams are going to stop running HB Dive plays because the RB could blow his knee out running up the middle.

It'll last until QBs start getting concussions and blown knees from running the ball. Matter of time.

I'm curious as to why QBs are seemingly more susceptible to injury than a RB or a WR who has the ball in his hands.

Don't know how to absorb a hit, maybe?

It's just odd that a RB can have 300 carries in a season and not come up with a concussion but for whatever reason a QB wouldn't likely be able to handle it.

I don't know what it is but it sure seems like QB are a lot more fragile.

As far as taking hits, is a running QB any worse off than a QB behind a horrid OL? Whatever benefit being a pocket passer is supposed to confer to a QB, it sure hasn't helped Romo avoid injury. 4 broken bones in 5 seasons?